Nine people were rescued yesterday in the fire at the Afriland Towers, Broad Stree on, Lagos Island.
The incident, which began around 1:38 p.m., was traced to the inverter room in the basement of the six-storey building.
According to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, thick smoke quickly spread across multiple floors, forcing a frantic evacuation of occupants.
He said one person was injured.
A witness simply identified as Joshua said the fire started around 1:42 p.m. from Avon Medical in the building. According to him, two persons jumped out of the building.
“Unfortunately, one of them hit his head when he fell and his condition was critical. He was rushed to the hospital, but I don’t know if he survived it or not,” he said.
Deputy Controller-General, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Ogabi Olajide, added: “Evacuation of occupants is in progress, while firefighting operations have since been concluded, dousing the earlier panic before the arrival of first responders.’’
However, one of the occupants of the building, UBA, in a statement, said: “We are aware of the fire incident at a building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, which incidentally houses one of our many branches in Lagos Island.
“As against reports on online and social media, the affected building is not UBA House, Marina, the Bank’s head office.
“We have ensured the safety and well-being of our branch staff, customers and other visitors in the building.
Also, no fewer than six rooms in a private residential building were yesterday gutted by fire at Akinsoji Zone, Ogbere Moradeyo, Oremeji Area of Ibadan.
Chairman, Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Mr Maroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident. ement in Ibadan.
Akinwande said the agency’s personnel received a distress call at 5:55 a.m. from one Mr Kayode and firemen led by CFS Adesina Olusoji were deployed to the scene
“On getting to the scene of the fire incident, it was a private residential building of six rooms engulfed by fire and our officers swung into action and restricted the fire from spreading to other nearby buildings,” he said.
The chairman said that the fire was extinguished by the Oyo State fire services and the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command.
Akinwande said though no casualty was recorded, but the building was severely affected by the fire.
He said that the cause of the fire was traced to indiscriminate dropping of cigarette stub by one of the occupants that ignited nearby combustibles and set the building on fire.
The chairman urged households to install fire extinguishers in their respective premises in order to promptly put out fire whenever there was an outbreak.
